Illusion appajrattts



J. LIEINSKI.

ILLUSION APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28,1919.

1,3 10,701 Patented July 22, 1919.-

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m ATTORNEY rm: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 00-, WASHINuTnN, u. c.

M UNITED srnrns PATENT onnroa.

' TJ'OHN LIPINSKI, OF LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Lrrrizskr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leavenworth, in the county of Leavenworth and State of Kansas, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Illusion Apparatus, of which the followingis a specification. i 1

My invention relates to improvements in illusion apparatus. u I 1 v The object of my invention is to provide a novel illusion apparatus which is adapted to mystify and afford entertainment and in which a performer, although not in a chamber containing water, appears to an observer to be submerged and to, live and breathe in the water as in air.

The novel features of my inventlon are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view partly broken away of my improved apparatus, a performer being shown in the lower cham ber.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same with the performer eliminated.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental vertical sectional view showing a portion of one of the side walls of the casing and a portion of the transparent partition.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the different views.

I provide a casing having side walls provided with vertical upper portions 1, preferably lined with sheet metal 2. The portions 1 rest upon the upper edges of downwardly and outwardly inclined lower portions 3 of the side walls.

Extending horizontally between the side walls of the casing and dividing the latter into two chambers 4 and 5, disposed one above the other, is a transparent partition 6, preferably of clear plate glass. As shown in Fig. 3, the glass plate 6 extends between the upper portions 1 and lower portions 3 of the casing, and is held clamped by horizontal plates 7, secured to the portions 1 by vertical screws 8, against the sheet metal lining 2, which bears against the upper side and outer edges of the glass plate 6. If desired, cement 9 may be inserted between the lining 2 and the partition plate 6. g

The lower chamber 5 is provided with a Specification of Letters Patent.

I Application filed January 2a, 1919.

ILLUSION APPARATUS.

Serial No. 273,634.

bottom 10, on" which may be placed earth or sand l1.so as to simulate a marine View, such as the bottom body of water. 1

'In. order to heighten the illusion, I provide means for simulating a water plant, which, as viewed from above, appears to have root in the sand 11 and to extend therefrom upwardly into the water in the chamber 42. Such means comprises one or more artificial plant stems '12, the lower ends of which are cemented or otherwise attached to theupperside of the transparent plate 6, and artificial plant stems 13 having their lower ends embedded in the sand 11 and their upper ends attached to the under side of the glass plate 6 in vertical alinement respectively with the stems 12. h

To an observer. looking downwardly through the water, the stems l2 and 13 appear'to be continuous, and present the appearance of a plant rooted in the sand 11 and extending up into the water in the upper chamber.

In order to'make the illusion complete, I provide means for the water. This may 'be effected in any suitable manner, as by means of water dripping from a supply pipe 14, which is arranged so as to discharge into the upper chamber 4 above the level of the water therein. The pipe 14 may be provided with a controlling valve 15 by means of which the amount of water discharged into the chamber 5 may be regulated.

The casing is preferably provided near the upper edge thereof with an overflow pipe 16.

One of the side portions 3 is removable so as to permit entrance into and egress from the lower chamber 5 of the performer 17.

In the operation of my invention, the performer in the absence of and unknown to the audience, enters the chamber 5. This chamber may be of any desired height and is large enough to enable the performer to assume diflerent postures and to simulate swimming or other movements. The people in the audience in looking downwardly through the ruffled surface of the water do not see the glass plate 6, so that the performer appears to be immersed in the water, this illusion being made complete by reason of the fact that the stems 12 and 13 of the plant appear to extend continuously from of a stream or other ruffling the surface of- Patented y 22, 1919. y

the sand 11 upwardly into the water, the break between the stems where they are attached to the glass plate 6 not being visible to any one looking downwardly through the water.

The performer may breathe, eat, smoke and do other acts which cannot be done by 1. In an illusion apparatus, a casing hav-' ingopaque side walls, and a transparent horizontal partition extending between said side walls and forming two chambers, one

above the other, the upper chamber being adapted to contain water, and the lower chamber being adapted to receive a person, who, when in the lower chamber, is visible from above through the water and transparent partition, and two devices in said chambers respectively disposed in vertical alinement with their adjacent ends secured respectively to the upper and lower sides of said partition, said two devices jointly simulating the stem of a plant.

2. In an lllusion apparatus, a casing having opaque side walls, and a transparent horizontal partition eXtending between said side walls andformmg two chambers, one

above the other, the upper chamber being adapted to contain water, and the lower chamber being adapted to receive a person who is visible from above through the water and transparent partition, the lower chamber having a bottom simulating a marine view, and means in said two chambers and attached to the upper and lower: s1des :of

said partition simulating a plant which, apparently, as viewed from above, extends continuously from the bottom'of the lower chamber into'the water of the upper chainber.

3. In an illusion apparatus a casing having opaque ,side walls, and a transparent horizontal partition extending between said side walls and formingtwo chambers, one above the other, the upper chamber being adapted to contain water, and the lower chamber being adapted to receive a person who is visible from above through the water and transparent partition, the lower chamber having a bottom simulatinga marine view, means in' said chambers attachedto and separated fromeach other by said parti- J tion simulating a plant; which, apparently,

as viewed from above, extends continuously from the bottom of the lower chamber. into the water of the upper chamber, and means for rufiling the surface of the water.

In testimony whereof I have signed my;

name to this specification.

Copies of thispatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

JOHN LIPiNs r 

